Moses' Blessing - Deuteronomy 33 - Parallel English/Hebrew translation

Translations

Parallel English Hebrew

Moses' Blessing - Deuteronomy 33

This song contains a number of difficult or unique words and expressions, and is complex in both content and delivery. In an attempt to capture something of this, the vocabulary used here is deliberately slightly archaic.

	Translation	Transliteration
1.	This is the blessing with which Mosheh the man of Elohim blessed the children of Yisrael, in the face of his death.	w^ezô’th habb^erâkhâh ’^asher bêrakh môsheh ’îysh hâ’^elôhîym ’eth-b^enêy yisrâ’êl liph^enêy môwthôw
2.	He said: “Yahweh came from Sinai, he dawned from Se'ir for them, he shone out from Mount Paran. He arose out of surpassing sacredness and from his right hand, flashing fire for them.”	wayyô’mar YHVH miççîynay bâ’ w^ezârach missê‘îyr lâmôw hôwphîya‘ mêhar pâ’rân w^e’âthâh mêrib^ebôth qôdesh mîymîynôw ’êshdâth lâmôw
3.	So, bosom-friend of the tribes, all his holy ones are in your hand. They throng at your feet: each takes from your words.	’aph chôbêb ‘amîym kol-q^edôshâyw b^eyadekhâ w^ehêm tukkû l^erag^elekhâ yissâ’ middab^erôtheykhâ
4.	Mosheh charged us with Torah, the inheritance of the congregation of Ya'aqob,	tôwrâh tsiwwâh-lânû môsheh môwrâshâh q^ehillah ya‘^aqôb
5.	and so he was a king for the Upright One in the convocation of the leaders of the people, the mustering of Yisrael united.	way^ehîy bîyshurûn melekh b^ehith’aççêph ra’shêy ‘âm yachad shib^etêy yisrâ’êl
6.	“Let Re'uben live, and let him not die, but his people will be scanty.”	y^echîy r^e’ûben w^e’al-yâmôth wîyhîy m^ethâyw miç^epâr
7.	� These things he said regarding Yehudah. “Yahweh, hear the battle-shout of Yehudah and bring him in among his people. His forceful hand is for this, so be respite from his assailants.”	Ç w^ezô’th lîyhûdâh wayyô’mar sh^ema‘ YHVH qôwl y^ehûdâh w^e’el-‘ammôw t^ebîy’ennû yâdâyw râb lôw w^e‘êzer mitstsârâyw tih^eyeh
8.	Regarding Levi he said, “Your Tummim and your Urim are for a man of your devotion, which he tested at Ma��ah, defended at the Waters of Meribah.”	ûl^elêwîy ’âmar tummeykhâ w^e’ûreykhâ l^e’îysh ch^açîydekhâ ’^asher niççîythôw b^emaççâh t^erîybêhû ‘al-mêy m^erîybâh
9.	And it is said, ‘he did not look out for his father or his mother, did not recognise his brother, did not know his son’, for they watched over your words, and guard your covenant.	hâ’ômêr l^e’âbîyw ûl^e’immôw lô’ r^e’îythîyw w^e’eth-’echâyw lô’ hîkkîyr w^e’eth-bânâw lô’ yâdâ‘ kîy shâm^erû ’im^erâthekhâ ûb^erîyth^ekhâ yin^etsôrû
10.	“They set out your judgements to Ya'aqob and your Torah to Yisrael. They set sacrifical smoke before you and whole offerings on your altar.	yôwrû mishpâtekhâ l^eya‘^aqôb w^ethôwrâth^ekhâ l^eyisrâ’êl yâsîymû q^etôwrâh b^e’appekhâ w^ekhâlîyl ‘al-mizb^echekhâ
11.	O Yahweh, bless his strength and accept the work of his hands. Strike down progeny of those who oppose and hate him, from arising against him.”	bârêkh YHVH chêylôw ûphô‘al yâdâyw tir^etseh m^echats mâth^enayim qâmâyw ûm^esan^e’âyw min-y^eqûmûn
12.	� Regarding Binyamin he said, “Beloved of Yahweh, may he abide in safety upon he who enfolds around him all the day: he settles between his shoulders.”	Ç l^ebinyâmin ’âmar y^edîyd YHVH yish^ekôn lâbetach ‘âlâyw chôphêph ‘âlâyw kol-hayyôwm ûbêyn k^ethêphâyw shâkhên
13.	Ç Regarding Yoseph he said, “Blessed of Yahweh is his land with the wealth of the skies, with dew, and with the deep stretched out below,	Ç ûl^eyôwçêph ’âmar m^ebôrekheth YHVH ’ar^etsôw mimmeged shâmayim mittal ûmitt^ehôwm rôbetseth tâchath
14.	with the wealth of the produce of the sun, and the wealth of the yield of the months,	ûmimmeged t^ebû’ôth shâmesh ûmimmeged geresh y^erâchîym
15.	from the chief of the ancient mountains and with the wealth of the ageless hills,	ûmêrô’sh har^erêy-qedem ûmimmeged gib^e‘ôwth ‘ôwlâm
16.	with the wealth of the land and her fulness and the goodwill of the dweller in the thorn-bush - let this come to the head of Yoseph, to the crown of one set apart among his brothers,	ûmimmeged ’erets ûm^elô’âh ûr^etsôwn shôkh^enîy ç^eneh tâbôw’thâh l^erô’sh yôwçêph ûl^eqâd^eqôd n^ezîyr ’echâyw
17.	the Firstborn of his Bull - honour to him. His horns are the horns of a wild ox: with them he will thrust away the peoples, all together to the edges of the land. They are the ten-thousands of Ephrayim. They are the thousands of Manasheh.”	b^ekhôwr shôwrôw hâdâr lôw w^eqar^enêy r^e’êm qar^enâyw bâhem ‘ammîym y^enaggach yach^edâw ’aph^eçêy-’ârets w^ehêm rib^ebôwth ’ephrayim w^ehêm ’al^ephêy m^enashsheh
18.	� Regarding Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your arising, and Yissaskar, in your encamping.	Ç w^eliz^ebûlun ’âmar s^emach z^ebûlun b^etsê’thekhâ w^eyissâskhâr b^e’ôhâleykhâ
19.	They will call the tribes to the mountain, where they will sacrifice offerings of righteousness, for they will suckle the abundance of the seas and the secret reserves of the sand.”	‘^ammîym har-yiq^erâ’û shâm yizb^echû zib^echêy-tsedeq kîy shepha‘ yammîym yîynâqû ûs^ephunêy t^emûnêy chôl
20.	� Regarding Gad he said, “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad. Leonine he settles down and tears at a shoulder or head.	Ç ûl^egâd ’âmar bârûkh mar^echîyb gâd k^elâbîy’ shâkhên w^etâraph z^erôwa‘ ’aph-qâd^eqôd
21.	He searches out the chief part of it, for preserved there is the commander's portion. Then coming with the leaders of the people, he enacted Yahweh's righteous deeds and judgements in Yisrael.”	wayyar^e’ rê’shîyth lôw kîy-shâm chel^eqath m^echôqêq çâphûn wayyêthê’ râ’shêy ‘âm tsid^eqath YHVH ‘âsâh ûmish^epâtâyw ‘im-yisrâ’êl
22.	� Regarding Dan he said, “Dan is a lion cub springing out from Bashan.”	Ç ûl^edân ’âmar dân gûr ’ar^eyêh y^ezannêq min-habbâshân
23.	Regarding Naphtali he said, “Let Naphtali be satisfied with the favour and full of the blessing of Yahweh. Let him dispossess the west and the south.”	ûl^enaphtâlîy ’âmar naphtâlîy s^eba‘ râtsôwn ûmâlê’ bir^ekâth YHVH yâm w^edârôwm y^erâshâh
24.	Regarding Asher he said, “Asher is blessed among the children: let him be favoured by his brothers, and dip his foot in oil.”	ûl^e’âshêr ’âmar bârûkh mibbânîym ’âshêr y^ehîy r^etsûy ’echâyw w^etôbêl bashshemen rag^elôw
25.	Unyielding as bronze may your bindings be and may your power be like your days.	barzel ûn^echôsheth min‘âlekhâ ûkh^eyâmeykhâ dâb^e’ekhâ
26.	There is none like El of the Upright One, Rider of the skies in your succour and the clouds in his majesty.	’êyn kâ’êl y^eshurûn rôkhêb shâmayim b^e‘ez^erekhâ ûb^ega’^awâthôw sh^echâqîym
27.	A singing-place is Elohim the ancient, and underneath are unwearying arms. He drives away the enemy from your presence and then says, “Destroy!”	m^e‘ônâh ’^elôhêy qedem ûmittachath z^erô‘ôth ‘ôwlâm way^egâresh mippâneykhâ ‘ôwyêb wayyô’mer hash^emed
28.	So Yisrael will abide in safety: security is the well-spring of Ya'aqob in a land of grain and new wine - see! his sky drips with dew.	wayyish^ekôn yisrâ’êl betach bâdâd ‘êyn ya‘^aqôb ’el-’erets dâgân w^ethîyrôwsh ’aph-shâmâyw ya‘ar^ephû tal
29.	O your happiness, Yisrael! Who is like you? A people delivered by Yahweh - shield of your succour, whose sword is your majesty. Your enemy shrinks before you and you tread upon his high places.	’ash^ereykhâ yisrâ’êl mîy khâmôwkhâ ‘am nôwsha‘ baYHVH mâgên ‘ez^erekhâ wa’^asher-chereb ga’^awâthekhâ w^eyikkâch^ashû ’ôybekhâ lâkh w^e’attâh ‘al-bâmôwthêymôw thid^erôkh

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